US soldier, 7 Taliban killed in Afghan battle

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) – U.S. and Afghan
government troops attacked a group of Taliban on Saturday and
seven of the insurgents and one American were killed, an Afghan
commander said.

Afghanistan has seen a surge in attacks by Taliban and
their militant allies in recent months and the Taliban have
vowed to launch a spring offensive against U.S.-led foreign
forces and the Western-backed government.

Fighting erupted after U.S. troops backed by helicopter
gunships and jets launched an operation in the Sangin district
of the southern province of Helmand, after being tipped-off
about the presence of Taliban in a village, police said.

U.S. and Afghan forces fought the biggest battle in months
against Taliban fighters in the same district at the beginning
of February.

On Saturday, U.S. and Afghan forces backed by aircraft
attacked about 20 insurgents, the U.S. military said. One
American was killed and one wounded. One Afghan soldier was
wounded, it said.

“There are known Taliban extremists in the Sangin district,
and the Afghan National Army and coalition forces will continue
to attack,” said senior U.S. commander Major General Benjamin
C. Freakley.

Residents of the area said U.S. aircraft bombed a house
where Taliban were staying.

The U.S. military did not comment on Taliban casualties
saying battle damage was being assessed. An Afghan army
commander, General Rehmatullah Raufi, said seven Taliban had
been killed.

Helmand has been a bastion of Taliban insurgents since U.S.
and Afghan opposition forces ousted their government in late
2001.

The province is also Afghanistan’s main opium-growing
region and the insurgents are in league with drug gangs,
complicating efforts to bring security and stamp out drugs,
officials say.

British troops have been arriving in the province in recent
weeks as part of an expansion of a NATO-led peacekeeping force
into the Afghan south. In all, 3,300 British troops will soon
be based in Helmand.